Posted by stinenavy on 2/4/2013 12:46:00 AM (view original):Eh, the media over-exposure is the only thing that bothers me. I don't give a crap whether some athlete is a terrible human being, or a great one.

Other than the two dead kids at the hands of his posse, I agree.

I was surprised that during the game, Jim Nantz actually acknowledged it in a little more detail beyond the usual "unfortunate incident in Atlanta".

Posted by bistiza on 2/4/2013 8:34:00 AM (view original):The NFL wanted Ray Lewis to win the Super Bowl in his final season. There is no other explanation for the non-call on fourth down. The 49ers are driving, sure they should have converted before 4th down and got the TD, but the defender held his man all the way into the end zone which is beyond the five yards. I'm with Jim - it was clearly holding, but the refs held the flag.

"Let them play" people say, but that ruined what otherwise could have been a tremendously exciting ending. Say 49ers get the TD and convert the 2 and go up by 3, Ravens hit an FG at the end of regulation, first overtime SB ever. Possibility was killed with that non-call which was clearly blown by the refs. I guess that's par for the course in a season that started with replacement refs and that joke of a Seattle Green Bay game.

It's questionable whether the ball was even catchable. Nobody seems to be considering that.

Posted by bistiza on 2/4/2013 8:34:00 AM (view original):The NFL wanted Ray Lewis to win the Super Bowl in his final season. There is no other explanation for the non-call on fourth down. The 49ers are driving, sure they should have converted before 4th down and got the TD, but the defender held his man all the way into the end zone which is beyond the five yards. I'm with Jim - it was clearly holding, but the refs held the flag.

"Let them play" people say, but that ruined what otherwise could have been a tremendously exciting ending. Say 49ers get the TD and convert the 2 and go up by 3, Ravens hit an FG at the end of regulation, first overtime SB ever. Possibility was killed with that non-call which was clearly blown by the refs. I guess that's par for the course in a season that started with replacement refs and that joke of a Seattle Green Bay game.

It's questionable whether the ball was even catchable. Nobody seems to be considering that.

I don't understand helmet to helmet rules - on 3rd down, Crabtree (I think) lost the ball when the defender hit him helmet to helmet. I had thought that would have been 1st down on the penalty. But nobody is talking about that.

On 4th, they were both wrestling for position, and while I would have thrown a flag, defenders were getting away with that stuff all game, so I was ok with the no-call. I think he has a chance to catch it if he's untouched; I wouldn't have held the flag for that reason.

Better question - How is the last play of a game a fade? I know a big blitz was on, but I would have had a better option there.

It's questionable whether the ball was even catchable. Nobody seems to be considering that.

Holding should be called no matter what - the ball doesn't even have to be thrown in that guy's direction for it to be holding. Half the distance, 1st down. No way that should not have been called.

Better question - How is the last play of a game a fade? I know a big blitz was on, but I would have had a better option there.

Jim probably thought there was a good chance of a completion or a penalty - except the penalty he expected never came even though it was obvious.

Still, I agree. With Kapernick back there, they could have run some kind of fake at least. Sure, the defense is sitting on pass, but if a guy like that seems like he's going to pull down and run it in, they have to honor it some. Fake a run and then pass, or even fake the pass and have him run around the end. Everyone saw how fast he can move on the previous TD - give him a shot to beat someone to the corner, even if that someone is fast too. It would have worked better than that pass, and maybe scored.